Wednesday night sees Monash return to the State Netball and
Hockey to do battle against an old foe in the Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels.
Round 3 was the last time the two clubs met with all age
groups looking to either exact revenge, build upon the early season momentum
gained for the last result or even forge a result.
UNDER 19s
LADDER: Central 8th
(3-7, 93.8%); Ariels 4th (7-3, 124.7%)
FORM (LAST
5): Central LLLLW; Ariels LWLWL
LAST TIME
THEY MET: Round 2 (March 6, 2013), State Netball & Hockey Centre;
Ariels 47 def. Central 31
 |
| Ramayer Gourley in action earlier in 2013. |
It took nearly two months but the young Monash side finally
reminded themselves of a winning feeling, when they trounced Swisse Southern
Saints by 15 points on Sunday afternoon.
The win – their third of the season – should give some
confidence to the girls coming up against a very up-and-down Ariels, sitting in
fourth position but lacking consistency of a top four team.
A lot will rest on the shoulders of Ramayer Gourley who shot
brilliantly against the Saints in Round 10, whilst there’ll be hope that Alice
Ditchfield can repeat her mature performance from last round on Wednesday
night.
Coach Robynn Pym told monashuniversitycentral.com.au
that it’ll be about capitalising opportunities when her side forces turnovers.
“We were poor in our conversion last game and were probably
lucky that the opposition made so many mistakes,” Pym said.
“The girls know if they can tidy that up, then we’ll be in
with a chance.”
CHAMPIONSHIP
LADDER: Central 5th
(6-4, 118.3%); Ariels 8th (3-7, 86.2%)
FORM (LAST
5): Central WLLWW; Ariels LLLLW
LAST TIME
THEY MET: Round 2 (March 6, 2013), State Netball & Hockey Centre; Central
58 def. Ariels 46
Following two nail-biting losses, the Championship girls are
now starting to show some ominous form as they meet a Ariels side desperate for
to build on their win that followed four consecutive losses.
Considered to have one of the best defensive records in the
competition, the defensive trio that is Natalie Tommasini, Helen Barclay and
Georgie Davenport will once again play a pivotal result in determining the
Wednesday outcome.
Having a history of conceding big scores, the recent
shooting form of Steph Tyrell, plus last week’s positive return of Sarah Main,
should prove a tall order for the Ariels’ defence.
Coach Leesa Maxfield told monashuniversitycentral.com.au the positive shooting output from
her goalers was a major catalyst for the recent turnaround of results.
“It just gives the girls a lift when we convert our shots,”
Maxfield said.
“Our focus this week will be keeping our error rate down. It
nearly cost us in the third quarter (against Swisse last round), but then we
kept it down in the last and eventually won the game.”
DIVISION 1
LADDER: Central 4th
(6-1-3, 113.4%); Ariels 2nd (7-1-2, 114.8%)
FORM (LAST
5): Central LLWWL; Ariels LWWWW
LAST TIME
THEY MET: Round 2 (March 6, 2013), State Netball & Hockey Centre; Central
38 drew with Ariels 38
It was only the result of the Division 1 girls that
prevented Monash from clean sweeping Swisse Southern Saints last Sunday
afternoon, as they went down to the Saints by seven goals.
Notoriously slow starters, Monash will be looking to
eradicate that aspect of their match as they come up against a high-flying
Ariels outfit looking to consolidate a fifth consecutive win.
The upcoming fixture claims match of the round status, with
two top four titans looking toward firming up specific positions in the second
half of the season. Both sides will want to prove points after four quarters
could not split them back in Round 3.
Clare Pettyfor’s return to the defensive third was a welcome
one, providing a lot of assurance and support for both Ebony Fietz and Melissa
Wardle. Sophie Knights recent run of form will give the Ariels plenty to think
about after promising showings both at Wing Attack and Centre.
Coach Jacqui Hansen told monashuniversitycentral.com.au
that her side implemented much of what they set out to do against Swisse, yet
just couldn’t sustain their patches of dominance for long enough.
“It came down to the fact that we shot accurately enough,
but turned the ball over when we could’ve gone ahead,” Hansen said.
“We probably got away with a draw against them last time
after being up for nearly the entire match.
“It’ll be another physical game, their defenders like to sit
off and attack the ball mid-air, we’ve got to be prepared for that and adjust.”
